The impact of diversity and multi-species interactions in disease ecology

多样性和多物种相互作用对疾病生态学的影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04060
• 负责人: Cory, Jennifer
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=631776
• 关键词: impact; diversity; multi; species; interactions

Predicting the threat of disease epidemics and mitigating their impacts is the underpinning of disease ecology. To this end much can be learned from systems in which pathogens and hosts can be easily manipulated. This is the case for many pathogens of insects. Here I propose three research objectives to determine the consequences of variation within pathogen populations, interactions among pathogens and the role of the host microbiome on disease prevalence and transmission in two insect systems; natural populations of western tent caterpillars and laboratory populations of cabbage loopers. Molecular techniques increasingly allow the identification of genetic variants of pathogens and the detection of multiple pathogen species in the same host. This allows exploration of how genetic variability of pathogens, such as viruses, influences their virulence and transmission. Mixed infections of insect viruses produce higher host mortality, but we do not know whether this also means greater transmission to the population. Field experiments can be used to measure disease transmission and impacts on host populations. Secondly I will investigate the influence of competition between different pathogens and whether multiple infections could benefit microbial control of insect plant pests by potentially having synergistic effects, or whether competition between the pathogens reduces their effectiveness. Finally I will explore the interactions between the insect gut microbiota and resistance of the host to pathogens. Recent work indicates that the host microbiome can influence the impact of pathogenic organisms but it is not clear what direction these interactions will go in. Observations of field collected insects and manipulations of their gut microbiota will determine if microorganisms might interact to modify the virulence of pathogens and the immunity of hosts and the costs and benefits of this. By elucidating the impacts of variable pathogens, hosts, and microbial communities, it is possible to develop a detailed understanding of disease dynamics in these two model systems. This will lead to recommendations of how pathogens can be used more effectively to enhance and prolong the efficacy of insect microbial control, and a greater knowledge of the role of pathogens in the regulation of field populations of Lepidoptera.

预测疾病流行的威胁并减轻其影响是疾病生态学的基础。为此，可以从病原体和宿主易于操纵的系统中学到很多东西。这是许多昆虫病原体的情况。在这里，我提出了三个研究目标，以确定病原体种群内的变化的后果，病原体之间的相互作用和宿主微生物组对疾病的流行和两个昆虫系统中的传播的作用;自然种群的西方帐篷毛虫和实验室种群的甘蓝夜蛾。分子技术越来越多地允许鉴定病原体的遗传变异和检测同一宿主中的多种病原体物种。这允许探索病原体（如病毒）的遗传变异性如何影响其毒力和传播。昆虫病毒的混合感染会产生更高的宿主死亡率，但我们不知道这是否也意味着更大的传播到人口。田间试验可用于测量疾病传播和对宿主种群的影响。其次，我将调查不同病原体之间的竞争的影响，以及多重感染是否可能有利于微生物控制昆虫植物害虫潜在的协同效应，或是否病原体之间的竞争降低其有效性。最后，我将探讨昆虫肠道菌群和宿主对病原体的抵抗力之间的相互作用。最近的研究表明，宿主微生物组可以影响病原生物的影响，但尚不清楚这些相互作用将朝着什么方向发展。对野外收集的昆虫的观察和对其肠道微生物群的操纵将确定微生物是否可能相互作用以改变病原体的毒力和宿主的免疫力，以及这样做的成本和效益。通过阐明可变病原体，宿主和微生物群落的影响，有可能在这两个模型系统中开发疾病动态的详细了解。这将导致如何更有效地利用病原体，以提高和延长昆虫微生物控制的功效的建议，以及病原体在鳞翅目昆虫田间种群调控中的作用的更多知识。